Petland employee gives family a puppy after dog's death

7:24 AM,
Apr. 1, 2013

Keegan Rathkamp, pictured with his wife, Cara, their son, Miles, and Petland employee Melissa Davis, holds Simba, a Husky that was given to the Rathkamp family. Davis decided to step up and help the family after reading a letter to the editor about Rathkamp's dog, Suka, who was shot and killed by hunters earlier this year in Great Seal State Park.

Written by

Matthew Kent
Gazette Staff Writer

A local man whose dog was shot and killed by hunters earlier this year in Great Seal State Park said Sunday he is thankful for the recent efforts of a Petland employee who stepped up by offering him a puppy from her dog's litter after learning of his situation.

Keegan Rathkamp was exploring the state park with his dog, Suka, a Siberian Husky, when the dog ran after four deer. The dog then was shoot by three hunters.

The incident prompted Rathkamp to write a letter to the editor in the Gazette, which caught the attention of Melissa Davis, an inventory manager at Petland, who said she immediately felt ...